


If This Isn't A Kingdom (then I don't know what it is)

by thehiddengrace



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan & Mark Lee Are Best Friends, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan-centric, Mentioned NCT 127 Ensemble, Soft Lee Donghyuck | Haechan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:28:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27119557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehiddengrace/pseuds/thehiddengrace
Summary: Donghyuck gets a little anxious about being Haechan sometimes. The others know how to get him out of his head though.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 109
Collections: nct title fest 2020





	If This Isn't A Kingdom (then I don't know what it is)

**Author's Note:**

> This is prompt NFT#204 for NCT Title Fest.

Donghyuck can see the sky faintly turning purple through the tiny stairwell window. It's an hour until dawn, but only twenty minutes until he needs to be downstairs, ready to face a morning full of producers and their sticky fingers. 

The elevator is broken for the second time this month, but he doesn't mind stretching his legs as he hurries up the staircase. The keypad beeps when he puts in his pilfered code; he winces at the sound the lock makes when it snaps open, harshly echoing down the hallway.

He's not really surprised when he creeps in to find the kitchen light on, Yuta crouched over his phone at the table like some kind of gargoyle. He glances up and raises an eyebrow, but doesn't say anything, whatever game he's playing twinkling cheerfully in the background.

Donghyuck flushes, even though it's not like he's been caught doing something he hasn't done a hundred times before. He breaks into the 10th floor dorm all the time, for the littlest reasons: to steal Jungwoo's cosy socks or nap in Taeil's bed or to whine until someone feeds him or any of the other things he tells himself are maknae rights.

"Morning, hyung."

"Morning, 'Channie." Yuta doesn't say anything else as Donghyuck makes his way through the quiet dorm. Jaehyun is snoring softly on the living room floor but the door to his room is wide open, like he got up for some water and just forgot to come back.

He pushes Mark's door open at the end of the hall, careful. "Mark," he calls out softly before making his way over to the bed using only the diluted light from the kitchen. "Mark."

Mark grunts and pushes his face further underneath his pillow. 

Donghyuck sighs and reaches out to shake him. "Markkkkk, wake up."

"Why?" he grumbles.

"Because I have to leave in seventeen minutes and you said you were going to be a good best friend for once in your life and be awake this morning."

"Okay, okay," Mark says, unearthing from his pillow and giving himself a little shake. He finally peels his eyes open and lifts up the edge of his blanket.

Donghyuck doesn't wait for another invitation and drops down, wrapping an arm around Mark before he can complain too much.

Mark still sounds half asleep, but he hums for a moment. "Are you going to be mad if I fall back asleep before you leave?"

"Furious."

Mark sighs, deep. "Why? You've done this a thousand times. You've always been perfect."

"I know. But what if…"

"What if what?"

"What if I'm not this time?"

"Are you fishing for compliments, Lee Donghyuck? You've always been perfect."

Donghyuck rolls his eyes and slumps closer. "Thanks. Don't fall back asleep until I have to leave."

Mark hums again. "I won't."

*

He falls back asleep just as Donghyuck's phone beeps a final alarm, signalling he has just a few minutes to meet their manager downstairs. Donghyuck sighs and when he disentangles himself from Mark's limbs, he wakes up enough to pat Donghyuck on the face and wish him luck.

When he finally creeps back out, Taeil has joined Yuta at the table, face still covered in pillow creases.

"Good. I was hoping I hadn't missed you," Taeil says, pushing his chair out. 

"How did you know I was here?" He hadn't thought he'd made much noise this morning, but maybe he had.

Yuta snorts. "Please. You've made Mark give you cuddles every time you've been nervous before recording for long as I've known you."

"That's not true."

Yuta doesn't look very impressed but inclines his head. "No, sometimes you make Taeyong cuddle you before Mark gets his turn."

Donghyuck sticks his tongue out as Taeil laughs at them. He sticks a travel mug in Donghyuck's hand before putting a hand on Donghyuck's shoulder, warm from the heat of the tea.

"Come on, I'll warm up with you on the ride down."

"Elevator's broken. Do you really want to walk back up 10 stories?"

Taeil shrugs. "I'll just steal a bed on the 5th floor until I have to be at the studio. Now, come on, brrrrrrrrrrr…"

*

"Did you embarrass the family? Do we have to kick you out?" Johnny's waiting right outside the studio, even though Donghyuck knows he's not scheduled for hours.

"Hyungggggggg," he whines, but he's smiling. "It went okay."

"Hmmm, just okay?"

Donghyuck's grin brightens. "Okay, okay, Doyoung-hyung has a lot to live up to now."

"That's our baby!" Johnny cheers, wrapping an arm around Donghyuck. "See, you were worried for nothing."

But really, Donghyuck is worried about the day he's not worried, when he's complacent and comfortable and not trying his best every single moment. The churning in his stomach makes him hyper focused, makes him try just a little bit harder. 

It's probably not good for him, how fans think he just doesn't need much sleep, how he's awake at all hours with nerves knotting in veins, Taeyong on the other side of the wall just waiting for him. Every time they start a new promotion cycle, a hard pit forms in his stomach, growing and growing until one of the members notice and sweep him into their arms, warmth seeping into his limbs until he remembers that he's trained half his life for this and he knows what he's doing.

His members believe in him, so he believes in himself; they make him better in every way.

"There's always reason to worry, Jonathan. I'm trying to be the best here."

"You're already the best," Johnny says, fond.

"I'm telling Doyoung-hyung you said that."

Johnny squawks.

*

Donghyuck gets home just as Taeyong finishes cooking. "Haechannie, come eat," he beckons with a wave.

He's just ate with Jungwoo and Doyoung as a celebration for successfully being the first to get through recording the new single, but he plops down at the table anyways.

"Why aren't you at the studio, hyung?" The vocal line is mostly done, so it should be time for Taeyong and Mark to hole up for the rest of the day.

"I took the last slot today."

"You're going to be sleepy, rapping about what a badass you are."

Taeyong frowns at him for the language but drops a bowl in front of him. "You okay? You didn't come see me this morning."

Donghyuck feels a flush of warmth, Taeyong's concern like a favourite blanket draped around his shoulders. "You looked really peaceful, so I went to bother Mark instead."

"You know you can wake me up whenever you need to."

"I know, hyung, but I want to take care of you, too."

Taeyong stops frowning. 

*

When Donghyuck breaks into the 10th floor for the second time today, Yuta is hunched over at the kitchen table exactly like he had been fifteen hours ago. He knows Yuta had gone and spent time in the recording booth, but he's back in the same pyjamas so it's like he never even moved. 

"Hyung, Taeyong-hyung's going to be mad when he finds out you've been slumped over all day and can't dance tomorrow because your back locked up again."

"Aish, brat. Don't be a snitch," he gripes, holding a hand out for Donghyuck to take. 

Donghyuck easily goes, let's Yuta pull him into his lap and wrap an arm around his waist. "I'm not going to have to tell him. You're going to hobble in like an old man and he's going to turn red in the face again."

"Aish," Yuta mumbles, digging his fingers into Donghyuck's ribs before propping his chin over Donghyuck's shoulder so he can still focus on his phone; it's not a game this time, but a chat in Japanese so Donghyuck can't even collect blackmail material. "Did you bring Taeillie's cup back?"

"Taeyong-hyung insisted on putting it in the dishwasher."

"Yet another cup lost to the 5th floor. This is why the fans think we're heathens."

Donghyuck looks at the mound of clothes piled on the kitchen table and at how there's shoes randomly kicked under the table and wisely doesn't say anything. He just stays cuddled close until Yuta's legs fall asleep.

*

"Where are you?" Mark asks when he calls at midnight.

Donghyuck yawns. "I'm in your room. Where are you? It's late."

"I'm in _your room_ , waiting for you to come home. I thought you were going out with the Dreamies."

"I came to bother Jaehyun-hyung when I got back."

Mark hums. "When are you coming down?"

"You're going to make me use the stairs after I had such a hard day?"

"You've had a hard day? You've probably been napping all evening! Coming down is easier than going up!"

"Hyungggg," Donghyuck whines.

"You only call me hyung to get your way. Fine, I'm on my way."

By the time Mark makes it up to his room, Donghyuck's already back asleep, starfish across Mark's bed. Mark sighs but climbs in beside him.


End file.
